Ten 103 Treehouse Bay.

If you are in Sihanoukville, and want an island getaway which truly is a getaway from everything-forget about Koh Rong and even Koh Rong Samloem. Do as I did. Go to Koh Ta Kiev (it has nothing to do with the Ukrainian capital) of the coast of Rem nationalpark. On that island you find the rustic and basic yet cosy and friendly Ten 103 treehouse bay lodge. Where you have the choice between treehouses, a dorm or something as basic as a hammock with mosquitonet under a palmleaf roof just at the beach. The water only a few meters away. The jungle around you. I went for the hammock solution as it was the cheapest option available. Travelling longtime dictates that. But i soon found it to be great. I was warm and cosy in my little nest. No other people there and the mix of  the sea flushing the beach and the frogs quaking in the forest was the perfect music for nightly relaxation. I did, however get a little wet during some of the nightly rain showers. But in the dry season that will hardly ever be a problem.

Planning my island getaway the usual way-over a meal. Grilled squid with Kampot pepper. Yummy!

We were picked up in central Sihanoukville and taken to our boat waiting at
Otres Beach a bit outside the main fuzz. There is no jetty. We have to wade a few meters out to our nautical lift. Calm weather is a good thing! Also dry weather. The trip takes an hour or so and there is no real shelter onboard. But the trip is good-pretty islands, tempting water and now and then a glimpse of the local lifestyle in the form of fishing vessels.

fisherfolks along the way. 

One of the tiny island paradises.

A sign in the reception/bar/restaurant/socialising place. I was told a Japanese tourist asking to be taken to Koh Rong was taken here instead by some Cambodians. I stayed for a week before realising "what-this not Koh Rong?"He was on the wrong island. The sign is a memorial to the event.

You are hereby warned-you can't go online. But at least you are offline without paying for it!
entertainment here is off line-the social side or the surroundings. Be it hiking or swimming. They have a loudspeaker-but no loud bom bom music.

Close to the bar, but separated from it by forest and beach. Close but secluded. The toilets-asian hole in the ground model-and showers-the bucket model, is on the same address.

One if the treehouses, with private beach and good view.

Staff. One Cambodian permanently hired, and a temporally hired volunteer from Switzerland. They hire travellers trough the work away website. The deal is free food and accommodation-but no salary.

Sneaking into the kitchen, the lovely kitchen ladies taken by surprise. The food here is the best i have ever experienced in a tourist place and is a mix of  western and local fare. And the beer is cold-chilled in a big box with ice. There is electricity part of the day-but not enough of it to run a fridge for the beer. But what is not in need of electricity is the wood fuelled oven behind the kitchen-producing fresh bread daily.

Ten 103 is surrounded by jungle, but here are several hiking options along trails. My first hike was to the Naked beach, a pretty stretch of coast which should be usable for some nakedness. The trail go trough the jungle with all its plants and creatures.

A termite mound. They are everywhere.

The secluded Naked beach, view to the left as you come out of the jungle......

....and to the right.

Another hikingoption trough the jungle goes to a small fishing village outside all tourist developement. I got here at the same tie as the rain-serious rain. Most people were either out fishing, or hibernating indoors/under sheltering roofs. Very little went on-but at least i got to see this village-so different from home.

A young boy taking care of anchored and moored boats-his own vessel somewhat low key.

A spirit house. 

Fishing traps.

Here come the rain! 

Early morning, bar not open.

BIG BIG SHAME. BIG BIG CRIME. A Chinese company builds a casino on this island-and make a road that should  be able to handle incoming jumbojets. Why?????

Rain and wind worked together to fill this boat. Somebody will experience a delay.